In the dim room, the cakes and snacks on the table had been cleared away, and the three of them stood by the window, bidding farewell.
"Let's go, Lily." Loran Hill looked at the girl in front of him. Although she was the queen, her figure was still so weak, which made people feel pity.
"Well, goodbye, Roland, and Ye Ling." Lily's mood was much more stable at this moment, and she tried hard to smile.
"Live well, Lily." Ye Ling also waved at this moment.
"I will." She took a deep breath.
"See you next time then."
After saying this, Roland Hill took Ye Ling's hand, and the two of them slowly floated up like ripples, becoming ethereal before disappearing into the room. Leveraging the power of the Moon Crown, Roland Hill could suppress the fluctuations of spatial movement to a minimum, almost imperceptible. Since there were currently no Sequence 8 or higher in the palace, concealing the truth wasn't difficult.
After the two disappeared, Lily was the only one left in the room. She continued to sit there for a while, in a daze, and touched her cheek before she was sure that everything that had just happened was not a dream.
After a long time, she put on her coat and walked out of the room, only to see the two loyal maids still standing outside.
"Let's go back, it's time to rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
——————
After leaving the palace, Loran Hill and Ye Ling followed the convoy southward, heading towards the empire's border. The south had just been pacified, and while martial law was in place, the security was generally acceptable, and they encountered no unusual incidents along the way. Perhaps this was also related to the badge bestowed upon them by Earl Howard's daughter. As a renowned noble in the imperial capital, his reputation was still quite valuable.
After quelling the rebellion in the south, Prince Edren returns to the imperial capital. As regent, he will address the many problems that have accumulated within the empire. Upon his arrival in Titaneia, everything will change.
At the court meeting.
The luxurious hall decorated in gold and red was now filled with nobles from all over the empire. Most of them held real power. Some wore luxurious formal attire, some wore military uniforms, and some wore priest robes and came from the church.
"His Royal Highness Prince Edren has arrived~Her Majesty the Queen has arrived~"
The loud shouts of the palace eunuchs quickly quieted the hall, and everyone stood on both sides, looking respectfully towards the entrance of the hall.
Edlen, dressed in a tall golden-red military uniform, and the Red Queen, Lily Esther, in a floral dress, walked side by side on the carpet, entered the hall, and then sat on the two thrones in the middle.
The Queen's throne is slightly set back and higher, symbolizing the current legal order within the empire.
Lily, holding the little prince in her arms, looked at the unfamiliar faces below and felt a little nervous. She took a deep breath and adjusted herself, then raised her right hand slightly to signal the meeting to begin.
"Your Majesty the Queen, long live His Royal Highness the Prince." Many nobles bowed in greeting, then stood up quietly.
"If you have any business today, please come forward and report it for discussion." The court minister stepped forward, stood in front of the two majesties and spoke to the crowd below.
"My Lord, your loyal subject has something to report."
A noble with short dark blue hair walked out. He was tall and thin, with a gray-blue bird badge on his chest. He seemed to be a vassal of the northern part of the empire.
"Lord Evans, please speak."
"My fiefdom was hit by heavy snow this year, leaving many fields barren and difficult to hunt in the mountains. My cellars are low on food, so I pray that Your Majesty can offer some assistance."
He described the tragic situation brought about by the snowstorm with great emotion, which moved many people in the hall to sympathize with him. After he finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to the Queen and the Regent.
Lily was a little hesitant for a moment, but she couldn't wait any longer, as that would expose her weakness and helplessness. So she asked, "What kind of help does Viscount Evans want?"
"This... I am content with just praying for some food."
"Can you tell me the specific number of residents in this fiefdom?" Although Lily looks petite, her math grades in the academy are not bad.
"Well, it's about 200,000 households." Evans hesitated and said this data.
Is there so much? Lily wondered. If she agreed easily, wouldn't she seem weak and easy to bully? But if she didn't agree, wouldn't she seem mean? And if a snowstorm really happened, those people would be very sad.
If they were to allocate grain, at least 8 million kilograms would be needed, which was no small amount. If the other party was deceiving her, how could she tell? She thought rapidly, but in front of the ministers, she couldn't pause and hesitate for too long.
After a few seconds of pause, Lily asked again.
"Lord Evans, how much food do you need for emergency?" She decided to ask the other party this question.
"About 15 million kilograms of grain." Viscount Evans said with feigned sadness.
"In that case... then..." Lily bit her lip and after hesitating for a while, she decided to allocate food. After all, she couldn't let the people in the empire freeze and starve in the winter.
"Ahem... Your Majesty, please slow down." Edlun finally spoke at this time. He turned his head and nodded briefly to Lily who was not far away from him.
"May I ask Lord Evans a few questions?"
"Please ask your Highness."
"Excuse me, Lord Evans, have you never stored food in the past? As a lord, ensuring the safety of the local people is a fundamental duty. It's hard to imagine that in this frigid northern fiefdom, you've never considered the impact of a cold snap."
"Also, you said there are nearly 200,000 households within the fiefdom. Was the tax previously paid based on 200,000 households?"
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